National and international scientists have announced findings from a number of studies showing that adult stem cells from adipose tissue could have enormous therapeutic potential. They have discovered that stem cells can be taken from fat, before they have become fat cells. The cells can be coaxed into becoming any number of other types of cells. They can then be used to repair or regenerate new blood vessels, cardiac muscle, nerves, bones and other tissue. These new forms of therapies and treatments would help patients with brain and spinal cord injuries, orthopedic disorders, osteoporosis, and heart attack victims
Adult fat stem cells are harvested from adipose tissue during a cosmetic surgery called liposuction. Adipose tissue has a higher concentration of adult stem cells than any other tissue in the body. Adipose tissue contains 1,000 times more stem cells stem cells than the equivalent volume of bone marrow. In fact, 500 ML of fat can yield approximately 200 million stem cells. Therefore it is not necessary to propagate cells artificially, or process cells by adding growth factors as it has to be done with stem cells from skin or bone marrow. The fact that these adipose derived stem cells are simply harvested, has allowed scientists to conclude that their therapeutic use should not bear any increased risk of malignancies or allergic reactions.
Adipose derived stem cells are currently being considered the next big thing to revolutionize the field of aesthetic and anti aging medicine. Doctors are now using adipose tissue as a filler-material to repair soft tissue defects due to traumatic injuries, tumor resection, and congenital defects. Using your own fat in cosmetic procedures eliminates any potential for an allergic reaction, because you are not inserting a “foreign” object into the body. It is now known that adult stem cells are a source for producing other “hormone-like” substances to enhance both skin quality and the underlying subcutaneous‑fatty tissues of the cheeks, the mid face and the skin in general. The result is a long‑term marked improvement that enhances both skin quality as well as the underlying youthful contours of the face.
Adipose derived stem cells are able to maintain their shape, and prevent some level of scarring. Several new studies suggest that silicon breast implants could be replaced by tissue grown from a person’s own stem cells within a decade. Implants grown from stem cells have the potential to provide a safer alternative to silicone or saline implants – which can rupture and also interfere with breast cancer detection. They could also be aesthetically superior, keeping their shape and size for longer than artificial inserts, which typically shrink 40 percent to 60 percent over many years
